KC Chiefs: Predicting the rest of the regular season schedule

The Kansas City Chiefs season hasn’t gone quite the way everyone expected it to. A very bad defense has not been protected by a typically very good offense. An abundance of turnovers and field goals, instead of touchdowns, have led to four terrible losses and four equally uncomfortable wins.

Now that the NFL season has 17 games, there is no official “midseason'” anymore, but Week 8 being the closest to a midpoint that we have, let’s evaluate the final nine games of the Chiefs schedule and make a prediction to see how they’ll end the season. But first…

Yikes. While this may not bode well for the struggling team, let’s see what this looks like for each opponent.

Green Bay Packers (7-1): Once billed as potentially the most electric game of the season as Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers finally get to meet, this game is now looking scary for the Chiefs (although Rodgers has since been ruled out). After losing in Week 1 the Packers have rattled off 7 straight wins, including unseating the previously unbeaten Cardinals. Unless the Chiefs can get both sides of the ball figured out quickly, this one could get ugly fast.

Las Vegas Raiders (5-2): Following the resignation of their head coach Jon Gruden earlier this season, many thought the Raiders would be in freefall. Instead, they come out of their bye still in first place of the AFC West and still surprisingly tough. It will be curious to see how the loss of Henry Ruggs and the tragic circumstances related to that affect the Raiders. LV is beatable, but the Chiefs always seem to struggle with them under normal circumstances.

Dallas Cowboys (6-1): Another single-loss team, the Cowboys have proven to be a much better squad this year than in past years. And even with a backup quarterback, they’ve still impressed. Unlike the other 3 NFC Least teams the Chiefs have beaten, the Cowboys won’t be a slouch.

Denver Broncos (4-4): Currently tied with the Chiefs for last place in the division, but both are still just one game back, the Broncos won 3 straight against very bad teams, and have been 1-4 since. After the previous 3 week gauntlet, this should be a much easier win for the Chiefs.

Las Vegas Raiders (5-2): The Raiders return to Arrowhead, hopefully with a loss under their built from earlier in the season. Depending on how things shake out, this could either be a tough matchup that decides the division, or an easy win for the Chiefs, reminiscent of previous years.

Los Angeles Chargers (4-3): At this point in the schedule, their current record means very little, but still Justin Herbert and the Chargers put up a fight and won the first battle this season, so they will no doubt do it again. This could once again be a fight for the division.

Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3): Another middle of the pack team that has a planted tree at quarterback but a very strong defense. The Steelers should be an easy win, but then again the Giants also were supposed to be an easy win. This late in the season, both the Steelers and Chiefs could be playing for a wildcard spot and their playoff hopes.

Cincinnati Bengals (5-3): The Chiefs take on the last of the AFC North, which like the AFC West, has suddenly turned into a very close race with four very good teams. What was once considered another cake win, might suddenly be a clash with the potential AFC #1 seed.

Denver Broncos (4-4): The Chiefs close out their season on the road to take on the Broncos, in what could either be a meaningless game (either because the Chiefs miss the playoffs, or they somehow get a good seed), or this game has enormous implications. It doesn’t feel like there will be much in between.

The only thing that has been maybe more unbelievable than the Chiefs (poor) season so far, has been the fact that the AFC is so wide open. Every single team has at least 2 losses, and all eight teams in the AFC West and North are all within 1 game of each other in their division and current playoff standings. Outside of that, four other teams in the East and South are still in contention.

With only 7 spots open to make the postseason dance, I predict that the Chiefs will go 6-3 down the stretch and finish the season 10-7. I’m not sure this will be enough to win the division but should be good enough to snag at least the third wildcard.